N. Carolina GOP spends over $176,000 to defend House Bill 2

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — More than $176,000 is being billed to North Carolina taxpayers by attorneys hired by Republican politicians to defend the transgender bathroom law.

A review of submitted legal bills provided to The Associated Press through a public records request found law firms in Washington and Charlotte representing GOP state legislative leaders have charged more than $129,000. Gov. Pat McCrory’s lawyers have billed nearly $47,000. The law firms working on the case haven’t all submitted invoices and the case is likely to take months or even years to resolve.

The NBA last week pulled its 2017 All-Star game from Charlotte because of the law, which denies anti-discrimination protections to lesbian, gay and transgender people.

A federal judge plans to hear arguments Monday from groups that want to block the law’s enforcement.